The
speed that computer can send data to other devices is very important.
Each year, software and backups for many consumers and businesses
grow in size and the huge amount of HD media consumed expands as
well. With the increased file sizes being streamed to external
devices and sent to external storage, faster connectivity options are
needed.

The first step in faster communications between a
computer and external devices is USB 3.0. This faster port is still
not widespread in machines today because there are no motherboard
chipsets with USB 3.0 integrated – motherboards that do support 3.0
use costly add-in chips. There are a number of add-in
cards and adapters available that let manufacturers and
end-users utilize USB 3.0 though.

Intel is already looking
past USB 3.0 to an even faster method of transferring data and to and
from a computer that uses optical signals called Light
Peak. These optical cables will at first be used side-by-side in
machines with USB 3.0, though Intel does believe Light Peak is the
logical successor to USB 3.0.

Intel's Kevin Kahn said, "We
view this as a logical future successor to USB 3.0. In some sense
we'd... like to build the last cable you'll ever need."

The
most interesting feature of Light Peak is that the cable is capable
of supporting many protocols at the same time. For instance, the
single Light Peak optical cable can support USB and SATA
simultaneously. The cable also has enough bandwidth to stream a full
HD digital movie, a feed from a HD camera, and duplicate the desktop
of a laptop all at once.

A prototype laptop featuring Light
Peak was on display at a speech Kahn gave at IDF in Beijing. The
prototype used a USB 3.0 port with extra hardware to allow it to
detect optical transmissions. The port can also be connected to
standard USB 3.0 hardware as well.

Light Peak is capable of
transferring data at 10Gbps, enough bandwidth to stream a full-length
Blu-ray film in 30 seconds. Intel believes that the speed could be
upped to ten times that 10Gbps number in the next ten years. Light
Peak will be available late this year and partners will start
shipping devices using Light Peak next year.

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I wonder what kind of uses the OEMs will use this new technology for? I can't imagine much would harness the theoretical limit of 10Gbps, and if this is similar to other peripheral standards, you're still limited by internal transmit speeds.

So unless Intel builds this into their next chipset, you'll most likely see this technology running over PCI-E lanes similar to how USB 3.0 and SATA 6GB run right now. If I recall, a single PCI-E lane is only capable of 250Mbps transfer speed. Some motherboard manufacturers use fancy techniques or extra chips to combine lanes (ASUS does this on their higher end boards for USB 3.0) for reaching speeds closer to the peripheral's advertised speed.

I wonder if they'll make the sheathing of two conductive layers to stream electricity through, because one of the requirements to replace USB will obviously require power delivery...maybe more than 5v 500ma this time.

Although Light Peak is early in its development, Intel demonstrated a fully functional system at the 2009 Intel Developer Forum (IDF). Their demonstrations were being run on a prototype Mac Pro motherboard, using Light Peak to run two 1080p video streams, LAN and storage devices over a single 30 m long cable.[16] At the show, Intel claimed that Light Peak equipped systems will begin to appear in 2010.[17]

Intel has designed a prototype PCI-E card for desktop PCs as an add-on. This would mean many people wouldn't need to buy a new motherboard for the new cable type. The card has two optical buses powering 4 ports. These PCI-E cards will have the same bandwidth 10Gbps as the built in motherboard chips and ports[citation needed].[18][edit] Disputed origins

Although the history is not yet well recorded, shortly after the IDF presentation technology blog Engadget reported that Light Peak had been developed by Intel in collaboration with Apple. The article claimed that Apple had been working on the technology since 2007, around the time that ClearCurve was introduced, and that Apple CEO Steve Jobs personally asked Intel CEO Paul Otellini to take up development of the system as a new standard, stating that an all-optical interconnect was the only way to proceed.[19]

However, cnet later reported that other "industry sources" dispute this claim. This report states that Apple was contacted by Intel as part of an ongoing effort to introduce its industry partners and garner additional feedback. Sony was also mentioned at the IDF in this context, Apple was not mentioned at all.[19][20]

In any event, Intel has suggested that systems using Light Peak are already being designed, and there are rumors that Apple intends to introduce Light Peak-equipped systems in Q4 of 2010.[19] In addition to the demonstrated system, Intel has also announced that they will introduce a smaller low-power version for portable devices in 2011. They have also stated that the system will allow future expansion to 100 Gbps throughput.[21]

While the irony is misplaced, the theory isn't even bad. I mean if a couple of these ports are on the side of a Macbook or any laptop then you, the consumer, can decide which (extra) ports you need. Even breakout box with various connections might be possible. This will make everything much more versatile.

I don't see using up the bandwidth but it needs to be available seeign as this will support multiple devices. I wonder if it can run into a hub. Then you might have your external SSD, video camera, keyboard... plugged in.

But at that kind of date rate why not just create one port for everything. Then we can start upgrading our cabling with fiber. It won't be long before houses are running SSDs in WHS and will need a fat backbone.

Optical has been out for so long, I don't know why it has taken so long to get into a pc other than for sound.

Well if this the CABLE TO RULE 'EM ALL, then there are situations where the bandwidth would be not sufficient. One example would be monitors. DisplayPort already is at 17Gb/s+ To add to this would be running multiple monitors and wanting to daisy chain them. Or one cable going to the monitor that has "USB" connections too. Eventually when the SSD mature to provide an order of magnitude higher bandwidth, this will be good too.

Come to think of it, it would be nice if SATA is killed off too by this.

500MB/s (capital b) is 4Gbps. Firewire peaks a 3.2Gbps, which is 400MB/s.

Though I wonder if the OP didn't mean the actual peripherals, and not the external connection protocol. What peripherals actually demand 4Gbps? I guess monitors? 24bit color, 1080p at 80fps is about 4Gbps.

I appreciate the clarification, it seems my knowledge was based on the P55 chipset ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_P55 ), which uses reduced speeds. Not including my failing to remember 'b' versus 'B' :P.

So that means it'd take about 3 PCI-E 2.0 lanes to fulfill the bandwidth required by this new spec. That should be possible to work into boards based on the X58 chipset.

Imagine a single cable going from your PC to your monitor. That cable will run the video, audio, and usb ports. Then you can connect your keyboard/mouse, headphones, and external hard drive to your monitor. While we probably wouldn't make use of 10 Gbps transfer rates (unless you have some kind SSD external raid setup going on), we could definitely make use of an increase in speed.

Also with anything new, Intel is going to throw out a new chipset/controller for it.

In PCI-e v3.0, a single lane is going to go up to 1 gbps, while v2.0 is 500 mbps. In other words, 16 gbps for a 16x slot. v3.0 should be out in Q2.

I've been excited about this technology ever since I heard about it. Think if there was only one port on the motherboard, and a big, squiddy lightpeak<-->everything cable that would connect your monitor, speakers, keyboard, mouse, external HD, camera, and everything else. I can't tell you how much a billion cables running around the back of my computer desk, getting all tangled up, pisses me off.